2018 Kia Sorento overview

Kia has announced a range of upgrades to the Sorento, the
company’s seven-seat flagship SUV. Motoring journalist, Tim Barnes-Clay, went
to Korea, the home of Kia, to find out more.

Refreshed

The new Sorento features a
refreshed exterior and interior design, and is available with Kia’s latest
safety and in-car connectivity technologies. A new GT Line variant is also
available, as well as an efficient new eight-speed automatic transmission for
2.2-litre diesel model.

Important

Michael Cole, Chief Operating Officer of Kia Motors Europe,
said: “The Sorento accounted for 15,769 sales across
Europe in 2016, and it remains an important contributor to the company’s
sustained sales growth. The current model has a broad appeal among buyers, with
a combination of high practicality, handsome design, and good value. Upgrades
to the car’s exterior and interior design, safety, and in-car technology all
add to the appeal of the car and will ensure sales remain strong.”

Design

Kia’s designers have made a series of modifications to the
Sorento’s exterior design. These include revised front and rear bumpers, new
LED head- and tail-lamps, and a new dark metallic finish to the ‘tiger-nose’
grille. The result is a more sophisticated and purposeful front-end appearance.
New Rich Espresso and Gravity Blue exterior paint finishes are now available,
as well as a new design for the Sorento’s 17-, 18- and 19-inch aluminium alloy
wheels.

Interior

Inside, the cabin features a newly-designed steering wheel
and driver instrument cluster, as well as a new climate control LCD display.
The dashboard also features a new Audio Visual Navigation (AVN) system. The new
Sorento features an increased proportion of soft touch materials and leather
for a more premium cabin ambience. Customers can specify the interior in
single-tone (black) or two-tone (black and stone beige), with cloth or leather
upholstery. Optional brown or light grey leather upholstery is also available.
The driver and front passenger seats are equipped with four-way and two-way
adjustable lumbar support respectively, to enhance seating comfort.

Powertrain

The new Sorento is the first SUV from Kia available with the
company’s new eight-speed automatic transmission. Designed in-house by Kia and
launched in 2016, the transmission boasts 143 newly-patented technologies and
delivers a slick-shifting, more decisive drive, while reducing emissions
slightly. The new eight-speed automatic transmission is available on Sorento
models powered by the 2.2-litre diesel engine, replacing the six-speed
automatic transmission (a six-speed manual transmission is also available).
Compared with other automatic transmissions, Kia’s new eight-speed unit
requires fewer control valves, enabling a more direct mechanical link to the
engine. This allows the transmission to shift more quickly than the outgoing
six-speed automatic transmission. The greater choice of gears enables more
decisive acceleration, while reducing CO2 emissions from 172 to 159 g/km.

Drive Modes

The new transmission offers four different drive modes: Eco,
Comfort, Sport and Smart. Drivers can select their preferred mode with the
Sorento’s electronic Drive Mode Select system. Each mode enables the driver to
customise the powertrain’s responses to driver inputs, enhancing fuel economy
or acceleration characteristics depending on driver preference. The Drive Mode
Select also adapts the weight of the rack-mounted power steering system, for
more relaxed or more immediate, engaging steering responses. The new Smart Mode
is designed to understand and anticipate the driver’s steering preferences,
automatically switching between Eco, Comfort and Sport modes. This enables the
Sorento to adapt to the driver’s steering behaviour as road conditions change,
pre-empting the driver’s preference for different speeds and driving
environments.

GTS Line

Kia has introduced a new GTS Line variant to the Sorento, further
enhancing its appeal in the UK. Inspired by the appearance of Kia’s
higher-performance GT models, the Sorento GTS Line features a range of upgrades
for added style and on-road presence. The exterior features four-lamp LED fog
lights, red brake callipers, a more prominent sill step, and subtle badging
designed to distinguish it from other Sorento models. Diesel models are fitted
with a distinctive new chrome twin exhaust tip. The interior of the model
includes the same improvements as the standard car, and also features quilted
seats, finished in black leather with contrasting grey stitching and
embroided emblems. In addition, the new variant features unique gear shift
paddles and a series of satin chrome highlights throughout the interior.

Safety

For the first time, the Sorento is available with Kia’s latest DRiVE WISE Advanced Driver
Assistance Systems (ADAS). DRIVE WiSE embodies Kia’s philosophy to create
intelligently safe vehicles with active safety technologies designed to avoid
or mitigate the effects of collisions. The new Driver Attention Warning (DAW)
system combats distracted or drowsy driving. The system monitors a number of
inputs from the vehicle and the driver. It sounds a warning chime and displays
a graphic in the instrument binnacle if it senses a lapse in concentration from
the driver. In Europe, driver fatigue is believed to be a key factor in up to a
quarter of all fatal traffic accidents across the continent. Other new safety
features available on the Sorento include: Lane Keeping Assist System; High
Beam Assist, and full LED headlamps with Dynamic Bending Light. These new
technologies make the Sorento one of the safest cars in its class.

Technology

The new Sorento is available with Kia’s latest 8.0-inch touchscreen
infotainment system, with navigation and Kia Connected Services powered by
TomTom. The new system offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, enabling full
smartphone integration. Android Auto is designed to work with Android phones
running 5.0 (Lollipop) or higher; Apple CarPlay, for iPhone 5 or newer. Within
the centre console is a wireless smartphone charger, allowing users to charge
their smartphones on the move.

Audio Upgrade

Buyers can upgrade their Sorento with a new Harman/Kardon
sound system. The powerful 640-watt, 10-speaker surround-sound audio system.
Clari-Fi music restoration technology rebuilds audio signals lost in the
digital compression process, returning high-fidelity quality to
digitally-compressed music. The system’s QuantumLogic Surround Sound technology
extracts signals from the original recording, redistributing them into an
authentic, multi-dimensional soundstage. The result is clear, refined and
detailed playback of a driver’s favourite tunes.

On-sale

Backed by the company’s quality promise, the new Kia Sorento
is sold as standard with the company’s unique 7-Year, 100,000 mile warranty. It
goes on sale across Europe from Q4 2017. UK pricing information will be
announced soon.